A pavilion in the forest

The Paediatric Hospice that will rise up in Bologna next to Ospedale Bellaria is a lightweight and light-filled structure, designed by Renzo Piano. Studied to improve quality of life for the littlest patients

A treehouse for the littlest patients of the future Paediatric Hospice, a project strongly desired and supported by the Fondazione Hospice Maria Teresa Chiantore Seràgnoli. So it is that Renzo Piano tackled the delicate topic of palliative care for children and teens, with the goal of improving their quality of life and that of their families thanks to a lightweight and light-filled structure.

Construction will begin in the autumn on a green plot adjacent to Bologna’s Ospedale Bellaria. The central idea is that of a sombre building lifted up from the ground by slender circular columns, as a metaphor for the desire to alleviate the pain of those who inhabit it. The little patients will thus be able to live at the same height as the canopy of trees and, through the glazing of the façades, feel surrounded and protected by an enchanted forest of native trees, both evergreen and deciduous. The maples and false acacia, losing their leaves in the winter, let the light of the sun filter into the building and allow the grass and the undergrowth to grow.

The apartments’ outdoor staircase, north side. (Courtesy RPBW)

The main body of the hospice with 14 single rooms for the little patients are arranged around a central garden and is connected via aerial glass-enclosed walkways to two pavilions on the south side, where there are eight mini-apartments designed to welcome families. On the opposite side there will be two satellites that offer more intimate spaces: a chapel space for meditation and a terrace that looks onto the Savena valley, connected to the morgue.

The main building and the satellite pavilions. (Courtesy RPBW)

The RPBW studio concentrated all the main logistical activities such as the garage, the technical rooms, the central plant, the storage and the changing rooms for staff on the underground level. The ground floor on the other hand, which is much smaller than the overhang of the principal building, looks like a huge open space where various activities are located, such as the reception and the secretary’s office, and from which the clinics are accessed. Slightly above, in the middle of the mezzanine, a flexible central space can be used for gatherings and meetings.

Cross-section of the hospice. (Courtesy RPBW)

The main floor looks directly onto the surroundings, but thanks to the slope of the terrain on the south side it has direct access to the garden. Six metres above the ground floor, it is dedicated to hospitalisation and includes a cafeteria with a full kitchen, a gym for physiotherapy, a pool for hydrotherapy, meetings spaces for doctors and other educational and recreational activities. The rooms with private bathrooms are arranged one after the other along the two opposing wings and look outward through a sort of winter garden that is completely enclosed in glass, which offers protection against noise and makes the building (whose roof is completely covered in photovoltaic panels even more energy efficient. There will also be openings in the roof for skylights, which can be manipulated on command, so that those who are confined to bed can see the sky.

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18 September 2018

Founded in 1961 by Piera Peroni Abitare magazine has crossed the history of costume, architecture and design, international, following in its pages the evolution of our ways of life and how we inhabit places